The Begining (The Navigator Book 1)

by Ben Winston

  “Thanks, I'll let you know what I find,” she said, stuffing the paper into her jeans pocket.

  Jed smiled. “It's getting late, Sweetheart. I appreciate your help with this today, but I think I'll go check on Laura, then go watch TV with your Mom. Besides, won't your boyfriend be home soon?”

  “Alex got home a couple of hours ago. He knew I was going to be over here helping you. He's probably sound asleep on the couch by now,” Brianna replied.

  Becka explained how she set out the variables and how to work through the equations to plot a hyperspace jump. Joe watched what she did and listened to what she told him. It surprised him that he actually understood what she was telling him.

  Instead of the weird warping she'd described to him, he heard - very softly - what sounded like a choir warming up, but the throbbing from the engines was interfering with it. Slowly, as she worked through each equation, the choir seemed to get closer to harmony with the powerful engines in the shuttle. It struck him as odd that she stopped before she had the harmony correct.

  He knew that she had done this hundreds of times, so he didn't say anything since he hadn't even been trained yet. She told him to go grab a seat because they were about to jump.

  He didn't know what he expected, but when they jumped he felt... almost right. He could feel the warped space around him and it sang to him, but it sounded to him like it was singing slightly out of tune.

  When Becka came back out of her little closet, she had a worried look on her face until she saw he was grinning. She came over and sat on his lap. “So, how do you like it?”

  “It's fine, but I wanted to ask you; does it sing to you?” Joe asked.

  “Does what sing to me?” Becka asked.

  “Hyperspace. Can't you hear it?” Joe asked.

  Becka listened for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I don't hear anything but the engines and I can barely hear those. What's it sound like?”

  Joe nodded. “Yeah, I can hear the engines too, but this is different. It's almost like a whale song, but it's like they are trying to sing in harmony with the engines, but can't quite do it. There's this dissonance... I don't really know how to describe it, it's like listening to angels singing, but they're out of tune with the orchestra." He paused. “It's beautiful, but almost annoying, because of the dissonance.”

  She grinned at him. “You're a hard core music buff aren't you?”

  “Oh yeah. For me, music is very powerful. I use it when I meditate to help control my mood as well as my sanity. Then later, all I have to do is hear a certain song, or even part of a song, and it'll bring me back to my center. It helps me remember things I don't want to forget," Joe explained.

  Instead of asking him what kind of memories, she asked him what kinds of music he liked.

  “Just about anything really, except for rap, country, and country rap. To me; that stuff just sounds like a beatnik with a synthesizer that's been smoking crack,” Joe explained.

  “Country sounds like that?” Becka asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Well, no, the reason I don't care for country is that most of it's depressing. I mean, do you remember that old joke that goes; what do you get if you play country music backwards?”

  “No, I've never heard that one. What do you get?” she asked.

  “You get your wife back, your dog comes back to life, the bank returns your pickup truck, your mother gets out of jail, and you get your job back,” Joe explained.

  Becka laughed. “Oh come on, it's not that bad!”

  Joe chuckled too. “Well, the older stuff is. Some of the newer stuff is up beat enough to listen to, as long as you don't listen to the words too closely. Mostly I like oldies rock with a dash of more modern stuff. I also like instrumental bluegrass and classical, as well as some techno and dance. Techno and dance are great for working out."

  About that time the door to the bridge slid open and Shana came out. “Well, we are on course and hauling ass. ETA is forty-six hours, twenty-two minutes to the Centauri system. Then another twenty hours sub-light to the Citadel.”

  “That's ship time, right? But relative to the rest of the galaxy?” Joe asked.

  Becka frowned. “About a week, give or take. I told you I had trouble with the temporals.”

  “Okay, so if Jarad did the navigating, how long would it be relatively?” Joe asked.

  “He can get it close to the actual time; like within a couple of hours. He may be completely insane, but he's a really good navigator,” Becka admitted.

  Joe dug in his pocket and pulled out a fifty, which he handed to Shana. “I'll bet you that fifty, that you'll be within an hour this time.”

  Becka looked at him like he was insane. “Why don't you just give me the money? I've never been that close... ever.”

  “Because I honestly think you plotted this very closely,” Joe said, grinning. “Hey, what have you got to lose? You've never been able to get it that close and I have no idea how to plot hyperspace. So this should be a sure bet.”

  Becka got up and pulled out the money and handed it to Shana. “You're on!”

  Shana just shook her head. “Something tells me you just lost fifty bucks, Becky!”

  “You know something I don't, Shana?” the smiling redhead asked.

  Shana just shook her head. “Just a gut feeling is all.”

  “So, ladies, how about we get something to eat before we relax?” Joe asked.

  Becka chuckled. “Yeah, you're gonna need all the protein you can get, Old Man!”

  The three friends took breaks for meals, bathroom visits, and the exit from hyperspace. Shana broke the rules and left the cockpit door open for the exit. Becka did as well since she also plotted the real space course to the Citadel.

  Joe felt the song close like a mournful requiem and he knew they had slowed to sublight speeds. Shana turned the craft in the general direction they needed to go, while Becka figured out when and exactly where they were.

  Shana and Joe were talking about flying in space when they heard Becka swear like a sailor. Shana's console beeped at her, and she started typing commands into her console.

  “Becky finished the course. I think she's swearing because she lost the bet. How close do you think she really came?”

  “I honestly don't know for certain, since I truly have no idea how I knew she'd be this close. But if had to make another guess, I'd put the time at...” He thought for a moment. "Plus forty-one minutes.”

  “Very close, Asshole! How did you know?” Becka asked as she stuck her head out of her door.

  “Remember how I described what I was hearing?” Joe said.

  “That harmony thing?” Becka asked.

  Joe nodded. “That's how I knew. The dissonance wasn't that bad, so I know you couldn't have been that far off. I know I had nothing to base it on but my gut, but that's the way it felt to me.”

  “Joe, you're gonna have to be careful at the Citadel. Jarad rules that place like his own castle and he's not going to take too well to there being a new king,” Shana said.

  “No shit!” Becka said. “Especially if you can already navigate that well and you haven't even been taught how yet!”

  Joe shrugged. “I was meaning to ask you, why didn't we jump closer to the Citadel? Not that I don't enjoy the company...”

  “Simple, for the same reason the Citadel doesn't move around anymore; the massive gravity well between the two stars,” Becka said.

  “Can I try? I mean can I see if I can get a lock on your computer without actually jumping us?” Joe asked.

  “Sure if you want. The ship won't jump unless Shana accepts the plot and tells the ship to jump,” Becka said. Getting out of the way.

  Joe slid into the seat in front of the navigation console, and began pulling positional data from the computer like Becka had done. Then he began working the equations just like Becka had done.

  Once he got going, he found it was extremely easy for him to work the navigation plot through the computer.
When he began working, he started to hear the songs again, and kept working the equations until it was in harmony. The computer ruled the new course 'optimal'.

  Becka had been looking over his shoulder and saw how quickly he worked through the plot, and the ruling the computer gave it.

  “Holy Shit! How in hell did you get past the gravity equations that fast?” She asked, amazed.

  “I didn't. The trick to heavy gravity is in the temporal equation and exit vector. If you calculate the gravity at the specific point and vector of our exit, at the time of our exit, the rest of it just falls into place and there is harmony,” he explained.

  “So what's the verdict, Becka? Is it a good nav?” Shana asked.

  “The computer says it's perfect,” Becka said. “Calculated flight time is in the nano seconds. Other than the fact that's supposed to be impossible, it should work."

  “Wadda ya think? Should we try it?” Shana asked.

  Becka bit her lower lip. “No, we shouldn't. If we did, Jarad would know exactly how good Joe is. Also, Jarad was the one that told everyone that direct navs to the Citadel were impossible to calculate because of the gravity calculations.

  “You would lose your ticket for jumping a nav from an untrained navigator. Not to mention that, in the case this nav is wrong, which I doubt, we'd end up in one of the stars. Finally, if we jumped right now, we wouldn't get one more day with you!”

  “I can definitely agree with that!” Joe said. “Besides, I was just trying out a hunch anyway. I really don't want to see you get in trouble, Shana."

  “Nah, I might get a reprimand, but that's about it,” Shana explained. “However, Becka does have a point about Jarad and the others discovering what you just did. I mean, enough eyebrows are going to be raised simply because Becka got the nav under an hour.”

  “I don't get that, I mean if she had gotten the nav time plotted for less than travel time, I could see people wondering. But this?” Joe shook his head. “I don't mean to take away from the achievement for you Becka, but this should be the rule, not the exception.”

  Becka nodded her understanding. “Well, that's what they're trying to do at the Citadel with all the training we undergo. However, a less-than-travel-time plot is impossible. It would force a paradox event.”

  “No, it wouldn't. Time has its own rules. I bet if we input the plot and set the transit time, instead of letting the equations dictate it, we could get a form of resonance harmony,” Joe explained.

  “What are you talking about; what's a resonance harmony?” Shana asked.

  “Joe's H-Space sensitivity is aural. He believes he can hear how to plot the course,” Becka explained. She looked at Joe. “Am I right?”

  “Exactly right. Wow, beautiful and brilliant!” Joe said.

  Shana stuck her tongue out at him. “Suck up!”

  “Let's wait to test out your theory on one of the practice terminals. If it works, maybe we can get a drone to test it out. If we did it now, Shana'd be more tempted to do it!” Becka said, winking at the pilot.

  “That reminds me, I wanted to ask, how can you jump without having a Navigator on board?” Joe asked.

  “Simple, I get the plot from the station’s Navigator,” Shana said. “There simply aren't enough of you to spare for supply runs.”

  “That just sounds wrong to me, I mean, how can a remote Navigator plot a course they can't feel?”

  Becka looked at him funny. “Joe, I don't feel anything different when I plot a course. Just the normal warping of space-time.”

  Joe nodded. “But when you start the plot, you have either an upset tummy, or you are really uncomfortable in some way. I saw you when you were plotting this jump remember. As the solution got clearer, you began to feel better. I bet this time, you actually felt really good when you finished, didn't you?”

  “Well, yeah, but I was horny as hell, too. As far as my being uncomfortable, I don't like plotting jumps. I know I'm not that good at it, so I'm always afraid I'm gonna mess up. But once I get focused on the equation and not on my insecurities, I suppose I do feel better, for a time,” Becka explained.

  Joe grinned. “I'd bet my next paycheck, what you're feeling isn't anxiety; it's hyperspace talking to you.”

  Becka shrugged. “What do you say we table this discussion for the Citadel, get something to eat, and get back to our games?”

  Shana grinned. “Like you'll get an argument outta me!”

  Joe let it drop too, he could see Becka was thinking about what he said and it disturbed her. He decided it might be better to wait until they were either alone, or in a better place to talk.

  Shana had gotten everyone out of bed, and back into their clothes with minutes to spare. However, just before they arrived at the Citadel, Joe grabbed his head in pain. “Jesus Christ!”

  “What's wrong, Joe?” Becka asked, concerned.

  “It feels like someone just drove a spike through my brain! How can you stand this?”

  Becka was wondering why Joe's nano's hadn't fixed the problem yet when they felt the ship nudge the airlock. “We're here. We'll get you to the med section right away.”

  “I think I know what you were saying about a Navigator feeling hyperspace,” Shana said. “I'm not a Navigator, and I can't wait to get the hell away from this place. What's it sound like?”

  Joe swallowed past the bile in his throat. “Hell. It sounds like I would imagine Hell sounds. I hope you don't except your return nav from here?”

  Shana shook her head. “No, I get it from the orbital at BC IV. Jarad would never allow such a mundane task be performed here.”

  “Good, because there's no way any working plot will be coming out of this place. I don't understand how they can even teach in this environment!” Joe said, blinking his eyes in an attempt to clear the spots.

  “Becka, I can't stay here. It's too loud!” he said and squeezed his eyes shut. "Shana get me out of here! Please Hurry!” Joe said and stumbled back into the shuttle. When he reached the companion way, he collapsed.

  “Becka! Get back here!” Shana ordered. “Leave the gear in the airlock, we're leaving!” She slammed the airlock closed on the surprised faces of the dock crew, and ran for the bridge.

  She jumped into her chair, and flipped all the switches that brought the ship back to life. “Citadel control, this is shuttle four-niner-one-one. Requesting emergency departure clearance!”

  “State the nature of your emergency, four-niner-one-one,” a calm voice said from the speakers.

  “Medical emergency with a Navigator, caused by proximity to the Citadel. Patient is currently unconscious and was complaining of a severe headache. We need to be gone ASAP.”

  “Shuttle four-niner-one-one, open your airlock to allow medical personnel on board. Disposition of patient will be decided then,” Control ordered.

  “Bullshit! I'll let your medic on, but we are leaving here right after that; with or without your clearance,” Shana said and thumbed the airlock control. On one of her screens, she saw three medics run aboard.

  Shana immediately shut the airlock and sealed it, then lifted away from the landing platform. Turning, she applied full power to the thrusters to put as much distance between her ship and the Citadel as she could.

  Toggling through the stored navs, she selected the course for the BC VI orbital and locked it in. She engaged the magnetic shields, got up and left the cockpit to see how Joe was doing.

  She didn't have far to go. The medics and Becka had gotten Joe up on the table in the common room. His shirt was missing, and he had several electrodes placed on his chest and head.

  “How is he?” Shana asked.

  “What the fuck?” one of the medics said. “Lenny, can you check this?”

  Becka came over to Shana so talking wouldn't interfere with the medics. “They said the nano's shut him down to prevent a massive stroke. They reported that his inter-cranial blood pressure was almost twice the safe limit.”

  “Do they know what the hell ca
used it?” Shana asked.

  Becka snorted. “They have no idea, but it had to be the 'noise' of the Citadel. What I don't get though, is it should have affected him the closer we got to the place, and it didn't seem to.”

  “Excuse me, Ladies,” the head medic said. “The nano's report that his blood pressure has returned to normal. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. You're right on both counts, Navigator. But now the question becomes, what made the situation change so radically, so quickly? As you said, we are still very close to the Citadel, so if that were the cause, then he should still be in danger.”

  “I have no idea what it could be. We were putting along just fine, then just before docking, he grabbed his head and swore,” Becka said.

  Shana looked at her sharply. “How much before we docked?”

  “Just a few moments really,” Becka said. “Do you have an idea?”

  “The ship's shields. I turned them off just before docking, and then I turned them on again just before I came back out here,” Shana said.

  “What kind of shields?” the medic asked.

  “Broad-spectrum, electromagnetic fields. They keep us from getting cooked by all the radiation outside,” Shana explained.

  “I'm Doctor Lenard Symms. I've been doing some research into how to protect Navigators as well as others from the effects of hyperspace exposure. We've always been trying different metal alloys. It simply didn't occur to any of us that a normal magnetic shield would work. May I ask what our current course is?”

  “BC IV orbital first, then dirt-side. The only reason I was going to the Citadel was to drop off these two. The rest of my cargo is for the planet,” Shana replied.

  “I'd like to use your sub-link if I may, Captain. I'd like to see if I can help this man, but I'll need to take him down to my lab.”

  “Certainly, Doctor. It's in the cupboard right beside the replicator,” Shana replied, pointing.